Lakers Draft Bronny James; LeBron Overjoyed

Stephen A. Smith believes the Lakers’ choice to draft Bronny James has given his father, LeBron James, more motivation than ever. (1:03)

Stephen A. on Bronny joining the Lakers: ‘Can it get any better than this?!’ (1:03)

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Before Thursday, no father and son had ever played in the NBA at the same time. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers have made history by drafting Bronny James, LeBron James’ eldest son, with the 55th pick in the second round, making them the first father-son duo to be teammates in the NBA.

“Beyond blessed,” Bronny James shared on Instagram.

The James family was together at a private dinner in New York when they got the news, sources told ESPN. LeBron’s mother, Gloria, and his wife Savannah’s parents were there, along with some of Bronny’s closest friends.

After the Lakers made their pick, LeBron led a champagne toast to celebrate, a source told ESPN, and he was “very emotional” about the moment.

Been working a long time for this 💜 pic.twitter.com/CJAt1Hluhv — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2024

“In NBA history, there’s never been a father and son playing together, and that feels magical,” said Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager. “We know LeBron has a decision to make about his contract, but if he stays with us next season, history could be made. And it should be made in a Lakers uniform.”

Bronny, 19, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game during his only season at USC. He joined the team midseason after recovering from a cardiac arrest that required surgery.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard was cleared to be drafted by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel just before the draft combine last month.

Bronny’s stock rose during the combine in Chicago, where he performed well in agility drills and was one of the top performers in 3-point shooting.

“Bronny is a person of high character and works incredibly hard,” Pelinka said. “These are the qualities we look for in players we draft and add to our team.”

LeBron has until 5 p.m. ET Saturday to decide whether to stay with the Lakers for the final year of his contract, worth $51.4 million, or become a free agent. The Lakers want to keep LeBron for his 22nd season and beyond and are willing to offer him a three-year, $162 million deal, sources told ESPN.

Lakers All-Star Anthony Davis told ESPN he supported the team drafting Bronny.

“He’s very good defensively,” Davis said. “He reads the floor well and is a good playmaker. I’ve seen him work out, and his ability to read defenses and make the right passes impressed me. I think he’ll be fine. There’s a lot of pressure on him because of who his dad is, but he wants to create his own path.”

The Lakers will start NBA Summer League play against the Houston Rockets on July 12 in Las Vegas. Bronny will wear No. 9, the team announced Friday.

In a pre-draft interview, Bronny said he wanted to model his game after defensive players like Davion Mitchell, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White.

“I think he’ll be a great defender and can disrupt other teams’ point guards,” Pelinka said. “He can guard multiple positions and has shown growth in shooting. We believe he can become an elite shotmaker, a true 3-and-D player.”

Bronny made his USC debut on Dec. 10 against Long Beach State, the day after the Lakers won the In-Season Tournament championship in Las Vegas.

Pelinka made sure to be there in person, sitting courtside near LeBron and Savannah.

“After everything Bronny went through, it was important to be there,” Pelinka said. “Even though we wanted to celebrate the IST win in Vegas, being there for Bronny was what Lakers family is all about.”

Sources told ESPN that when LeBron saw Pelinka at the game, the Lakers executive said, “I’m just here to show our support.”

LeBron thanked Pelinka for coming and added, “I hope you’re here to scout, too.”